Supergirl Has Been Cast

The Supergirl series announced last fall now has a star: Melissa Benoist. She’s best known as one of the “new class” from season four of Glee, playing a “girl next door” type that would be well suited to the character. As described,

Benoist will play Kara, who after arriving on Earth was taken in by a foster family, the Danvers, who taught her to be careful with her extraordinary powers (which she shares with her famous cousin, Superman).

Now 24, Kara feels un-empowered, a slave to having repressed her innate abilities. She’s still pretty, but with her face hidden behind glasses and her hair pulled back, she doesn’t know it herself. An unexpected disaster forces her to use her powers in public. Energized by her heroic deed, for the first time in her life, Kara begins embracing her extraordinary abilities.

Sounds like the addition of a coming-of-age twist, but the Supergirl comic series quite often went in for soap opera and emotional dramatics, focusing on a young woman finding her place in the world. That aspect, if foregrounded in the show, could be quite appealing.